The The use of parental alienation as a tool to discredit victims of domestic violence

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the use of the Parental Alienation Act as a tool for discrediting victims of domestic violence, and to understand the main flaws in the theory upon which the law was based, by dissecting its details and original objectives. It also seeks to highlight the harmful aspects of the aforementioned law in order to understand how it impacts litigious relationships between couples who have experienced domestic violence, as well as to study the consequences for children and adolescents who may be involved. The relevance of discussing Parental Alienation in Brazil gained momentum due to the paths taken after the enactment of Law 12.318/2010. This is because its initial idea, based on Richard Gardner's theory of Parental Alienation Syndrome, although created with the aim of protecting children and adolescents against psychological manipulation resulting from family conflicts, has become the target of criticism for its irresponsible and harmful use. In many cases, it has been invoked as an instrument to discredit women who are victims of domestic violence, being used for a purpose different from what was propagated. Therefore, this study seeks to analyze the use of Parental Alienation as a defense mechanism for aggressors and abusers, and the consequent devaluation of the victims' word.